The Evolution of Nickelodeon

Over four decades later, “The First Kids’ Network” has grown exponentially. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’ll be discussing the evolution of Nickelodeon. Nickelodeon is known for its green slime, orange logo, and a certain yellow sponge. None of these staples were present on December 1, 1977, however, when a new children’s program entitled “Pinwheel” aired on C-3, a channel exclusive to the QUBE cable television system in Columbus, Ohio. Airing every day from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. ET, Pinwheel served as the predecessor to the Nickelodeon network, which officially launched on April 1, 1979. “The Young People’s Satellite Network” derived its name from old-timey Nickelodeon movie theaters. The network’s original logo even featured a Charlie Chaplin lookalike gazing into a nickelodeon device. As Nickelodeon broadened its availability, more shows were added to the network’s lineup. In 1981, Nickelodeon started airing the Canadian sketch comedy series “You Can’t Do That on Television,” which incorporated several elements that became interwoven with the network’s brand: a cast of mostly kids, a playful sense of humor, and - most significantly of all - green slime. Although Nickelodeon had a clear target demographic, it initially struggled to find an audience, as well as an identity. After losing $10 million, Nickelodeon enlisted the talents of Fred Seibert and Alan Goodman, who had helped launch MTV. Through Fred/Alan Inc. and several other creative figures, Nickelodeon was given several defining trademarks. On October 8, 1984, Nick’s rainbow lettered pinball logo was replaced with the iconic orange splat. The new logo was prominently displayed in a series of new bumpers, many of which included the musical accompaniment of the doo-wop group, The Jive Five. After only six months, Nick evolved into the #1 rated children’s network, ushering in a golden age. Nickelodeon prided itself on being a network for children, but when kids went to bed, older audiences watched Nick at Nite. Launching in 1985, this nighttime block consisted of classic television shows that could appeal to all ages. Nickelodeon’s morning lineup received an overhaul as well. In 1988, the Pinwheel block was rebranded as Nick Jr., which targeted a pre-school age group with educational programming. Along with Albie Hecht, Seibert and Goodman were also tasked with rebranding Nickelodeon’s The Big Ballot, an award show created to “honor kids’ opinions about movies and television.” In 1988, The Big Ballot was reworked as the Kids’ Choice Awards, complete with a live audience and celebrity hosts. Giving kids the power to vote, this annual award ceremony continued to evolve in the following years, most notably introducing the orange blimp-shaped trophy in 1990. In 1986, Marc Summers started hosting the network’s first game show, “Double Dare.” With family-friendly challenges, a wacky obstacle course, and approval to get messy, “Double Dare” perfectly summed up what Nick was all about. It laid the groundwork for other game shows, such as “Nick Arcade,” “What Would You Do?,” and “Legends of the Hidden Temple.” Some of these game shows were taped at the now-defunct Nickelodeon Studios, which operated from 1990 to 2005 at Universal Studios Florida. In addition to game shows, Nickelodeon started producing original animated programming under the Nicktoons label. On August 11, 1991, Nickelodeon aired the first three Nicktoons: “Doug,” “Rugrats,” and “The Ren & Stimpy Show.” Each had a distinctive look and tone, with one being a coming-of-age dramedy, another centering on the misadventures of babies, and the third challenging how risqué a “kids show” could be. Their success soon led to more Nicktoons like “Rocko’s Modern Life.” “Rugrats” in particular was a breakout hit, with Klasky Csupo Productions going on to make “Aaahh!!! Real Monsters,” “The Wild Thornberrys,” “Rocket Power,” “As Told by Ginger,” and “All Grown Up!” Like the Nicktoons, Nickelodeon’s scripted live-action shows offered a fair deal of variety as well. Of course, there were kid-centric comedies like “Clarissa Explains It All,” “Salute Your Shorts,” and “The Adventures of Pete & Pete.” Yet, Nick also took chances with the horror anthology series “Are You Afraid of the Dark?” and the sci-fi dramedy “The Secret World of Alex Mack.” Nick gave us two “SNL”-like sketch comedies as well: “Roundhouse” and “All That.” Many of these teen-oriented shows aired during the network’s Saturday night lineup, SNICK, which ran from 1992 to 2005. There wasn’t a 90s kid who didn’t want the big orange SNICK couch growing up. As part of Nick’s 20th birthday in 1999, one lucky contest winner reportedly took home the legendary furniture, along with $25,000 and 6,000 cookies. SNICK wasn’t the only prominent Nickelodeon programming block, as Nick in the Afternoon launched in 1995 with the Mr. Bill-esque host, Stick Stickly. Nickelodeon’s success extended to the silver screen with the company’s first theatrical feature, “Harriet the Spy.” Just as memorable as the film itself was the short that played before it, a pilot for a new Nicktoon entitled “Hey Arnold!” Nickelodeon Movies went on to release “Good Burger,” an adaptation of the “All That” sketch; “The Rugrats Movie,” the first non-Disney animated feature to cross $100 million domestically; and “Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius,” one of the first films nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards. “Jimmy” lost to “Shrek,” but Nickelodeon got the Oscar ten years later with “Rango.” “Jimmy Neutron” later developed into a TV series, joining an expanding Nicktoons library that included “KaBlam!,” “The Angry Beavers,” “CatDog,” and “Invader Zim.” Frederator Studios’ animation showcase “Oh Yeah! Cartoons” paved the way for three spinoffs: “ChalkZone,” “My Life as a Teenage Robot,” and “The Fairly OddParents.” The latter show put creator Butch Hartman on the map, leading to other hits like “Danny Phantom.” As well-received as these Nicktoons were, Nickelodeon was never the same after the 1999 Kid’s Choice Awards when “SpongeBob SquarePants” premiered. Appealing to kids, parents, and even college students, SpongeBob became Nickelodeon’s equivalent to Mickey Mouse. Inspiring three theatrical films, a Tony-winning Broadway musical, and countless merchandise, we could do a whole video on the evolution of SpongeBob alone. The late Stephen Hillenburg’s creation still airs new episodes today, making it the longest-running Nicktoon ever. While not as long-lived as “SpongeBob,” “Avatar: The Last Airbender” arguably had an even greater impact. Where most Nicktoons at the time were episodic comedies, “Avatar” stood out as a serialized action-adventure with an eastern theme. The show’s character development, worldbuilding, and epic storytelling influenced many of the animated shows that followed, setting a new standard. It inspired a sequel series entitled “The Legend of Korra,” which ended up breaking new grounds for LGBTQ+ representation. As for Nickelodeon’s sitcoms, producer Dan Schneider had been a big name since the 90s with “All That,” “Kenan & Kel,” and “The Amanda Show.” Schneider’s Bakery really invaded Nickelodeon in the 2000s, however, with “Drake & Josh,” “Zoey 101,” “iCarly,” and “Victorious.” Schneider’s sitcoms helped launch the careers of several celebrities, such as Kenan Thompson, Amanda Bynes, Drake Bell, Josh Peck, Miranda Cosgrove, and Ariana Grande, among others. Over 25 years after co-hosting the second Kid’s Choice Awards, Schneider received Nick’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Only four years later, though, Nickelodeon and Schneider cut ties over alleged poor behavior. Going into the 2010s, Nickelodeon leaned heavily into nostalgia, acquiring properties like “Winx Club” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Reruns of older Nick shows were dusted off for a new programming block called The '90s Are All That, now known as NickRewind. Nickelodeon seemed to be past its golden age, however, as new shows like “Fanboy & Chum Chum,” “Breadwinners,” and “Pig Goat Banana Cricket” were mostly panned by critics. Nicktoon Network’s decision to pass on “Adventure Time” didn’t help either. There were a few bright spots, with “The Loud House” beating “SpongeBob” in the ratings in 2016 and inspiring a spinoff, “The Casagrandes.” Since the 90s and 2000s are remembered most fondly, though, Nick green-lit multiple reboots, revivals, and continuations. The live-action “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” hit theaters in 2019 to surprisingly solid reviews. Nick recently produced a slew of TV movies based on retro properties, including “Legends of the Hidden Temple,” “Hey Arnold!: The Jungle Movie,” “Rocko’s Modern Life: Static Cling,” and “Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus,” the latter two of which debuted on Netflix. In 2019, Nickelodeon signed a Netflix deal to produce more content for the streaming service. A live-action “Avatar” series is even in development for Netflix and hopefully, it’s better than that M. Night Shyamalan movie. Following the 2019 ViacomCBS merger, it was announced that plenty of Nickelodeon content would be headed to CBS All Access. Not unlike Disney, Nickelodeon has become a brand that not only connects with children, but older audiences who grew up with the network. We could thus see Nick become a prominent force in the streaming era, guaranteeing that brand isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. While there have been highs and lows, Nickelodeon has defined childhoods for generations, making it timeless.